Our story began like many nowadays - on the internet. After matching online and talking for a loooongg time, we finally got the guts to meet in person, and the rest is history.

We decided about 3 weeks after meeting that we wanted to be together and made things official.

For our first date, we went mini golfing, and Colin let her kick his butt like the man he is. After that Sierra realized that winning was fun so she came back for more dates. Colin no longer lets Sierra win at mini golf :(

We decided early on that we wanted to make the most of life together and started going on little adventures. We went to Erie for our first out of town trip together, and it has become our favorite nearby weekend trip spot. We especially love the wineries and hidden beaches nearby in New York. We have also traveled to Gettysburg to nerd out over the history there, Florida to get Sierra on a plane for the first time (amazing, love being in the sky), and the state of Indiana to see family. We've started to get into hiking and scoping out nearby outdoor places to hang out and explore. Our favorite places so far are Twin Lakes and Ohiopyle.

After a few months of being together, Colin met Jackson and Evelyn. We started doing fun things with them as well like going to Raccoon State Park to swim and explore, going to amusement parks, regular parks, a baseball game, and other random fun things to keep us busy and active.

Life has been incredibly busy and full since getting together, in a good way. Colin eventually moved in with Sierra and the kids, and we are all so happy and excited to see what our future holds.

On Friday, August 9, 2024, Sierra had a horrible day at work trying to wrap some things up before going on vacation the following Monday. It was an extremely busy, emotional, and stressful day at work. Colin knew how the day was going, so Sierra was extremely confused when she got home and instead of going straight to the Chinese place by the house to get food, he insisted on going to a park nearby to go for a walk, which Sierra thought was odd because usually food is always first. Sierra was reluctant, and Colin was insistent. We were not eating before we went to a park because it was "too nice of a day to not enjoy the weather."

Colin did not know what park to go to, but he said he wanted to go to a nicer one than the one right by the house for some unknown reason, so we decided on Mingo which is nearby. We crossed the covered bridge at Mingo and made an immediate left to park near the creek. We started walking down by the creek, checking out all the minnows and listening to the sound of the water, relieving some of the stress of the day.

Sierra was hangry and tired but making the best of the trip. Colin started getting even weirder. The vibes were definitely different! Sierra knew something was up but was absolutely not expecting what was going to happen next.

Colin wrapped his arms around Sierra from behind and said, "You know I love you, right?" to which Sierra turned slightly and said yes and the same. Then Colin said, "You gave me your pebble, now it's time for me to give you mine," as he got down on one knee beside the creek and asked Sierra to marry him.

A few months after we got together, Sierra bought Colin a unique painted "penguin pebble" for Colin. Colin's favorite animal is the penguin, and some penguins present small items like stones as a gift to their partner. The penguin pebble was gifted to Colin as a sign that Sierra loved him and wanted to be with him for the long haul.

Sierra looked at Colin in shock and disbelief but of course said yes, and Colin slipped the "pebble" on her finger. It fit perfectly and was the exact design she had liked. He had gone out of his way to have it custom made.

Afterwards, we walked some more and found a bench to sit on and talk about how he managed to hide that he was going to propose, to which Sierra learned he had not even had the ring for a day before he quickly came up with a loose plan to propose. We laughed and walked some more, let our families know that Sierra said yes, then went to get our Chinese food.

We are incredibly excited to see what the future holds for us and our family! We just bought a new house to call ours.

The future looks bright, and we have come so far as a couple and as individuals. Together, we overcame our anxieties and fears surrounding relationships and other aspects of life. With patience, kindness, and pure love we have navigated every challenge this far, and we will continue to grow and enjoy the life we have created together.